Automatic corn-dropping attachment



(No Model.)

W. W. WALTERS'. AUTOMATIC CORN DROPPINC ATTACHMENT.

Patente'dDe. 13, 1887.

UNITED? STATES PATENT 4 Grrrcn.

VI'LLIAM WALTERS, OF SALEM, MISSOURI.

'AUTOMATIC.CORN-DROPPlNe'ATTAcl-iMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming partofLetters Patent No. 374,815,datec`1 December 1-3, 1887.

Application filed J une I4, 1887. Serial No. 241,273. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM W. WALTERs, of Salem, in the county of Dent and State of Missouri, have invented 'a certain new and useful Improvementin Automatic Corn-Dropping Attachments, of which the following is a full, clear, and-exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure I is a side elevation showing the pitman-rods intheir operative positions. Fig. II is a top plan view showing the pitman-rods in intermediate positions. Fig. III is a ver,- tical longitudinal section taken on line III III, Fig. II, showing the pitman-rods relatively in their two intermediate positions attached to a depressed and elevated crank and seated in the lswivel-heads of the pivoted operating T- lever, in which they have their slide-bearings; and Fig. IV is a section taken on line IV 1V, Fig. II, showing the swivel-head of the T- lever, with its set-screw that secures its attach- -ment and the peripheralchannel-groove in side the devices for operating the seed-slide that controls the dropping of the corn, including the double-crank axle, pitman-rods, swivel-headed pivoted T-lever operating the bifurcated pivoted lever that works the seedslide, Sto. l

Referring to the drawings, ,in which similar figures of reference indicate like part-s in all the views, 1 represents the longitudinal beams,

and 2 the transverse beams,of the rectangular transporting-frame of a corn-planter to which my invention is attached. The framcis provided with box-bearings 3 near the middle of its length, that carry the axle 4,upon the spin-- dles 5 of which run the transporting or covering wheels 6.

Running transverse to the transporting-frame is the check-rower and corn-dropperl frame 7, which isrigidly secured to the former frame, the frontend of the transporting-frame being attached to the rear transverse beam, 8, of the dropper-frame, which beam is jointed to the short side beams, 9, of said frame, the said beams carrying the front transverse beam, 10, which is secured to them by bolts 1l' from beneath. The relative positions vertically of the transverse beams 8 and 10 give the proper slightly-vertical inclination to the tongue 1 2, which is lap-jointed to the former and rests on and is secured to the latter. The dropperframe 7 is supported on runners 13, which are connected directly to the frame in front, at 51, and to the pendent metallic seed spout or conductor 14 at the rear. 15,'works in three pendent box-bearings, 16, that are bolted or otherwise secured relatively beneath the side beams, 9, and the tongue 12. The crank-shaft 15 carries the ri-mless drivewheels 17, broad spokes or paddles 1S of whlch have theirinterradiate ends secured insocketholes 19 of the center wheels, 20, the spokes 21 of which connect with the hubs on the ends of said crank-shaft. The outer ends of the spokes of the rimless drive-wheels are of a shape to enter the ground freely, which they do to about the same depth as the runners.

Projecting from the hubs are arms 22, to

A double-crank shaft,

which are pivoted two pairs of marker or indicator arms, 28-one pair to each Wheel. The end portions of each pair of arms are connected together loosely by links 24 and a rod, 25. The arms are pressed away from each other by means of bow or curved springs 26, whose bifurcated ends 27 engage notched portions 28 of the arms. Sliding balls or Weights 29 play on the rods 25, and by their gravity throw the marker-arms into perpendicular at the time of marking.

The marker-point marks half-way between the last row planted and the next row to planted'.

Inow proceed to describe t-he actuating de- 'vices for effecting the drop in connection with thedouble-crank shaft or axle already mentioned, which, together with said crank-axle, are the novel features pointed out in and covered by the claims appended to andforming part of this specification.

30 represents pitman rods that have split flanged shoulders 3l and curved arms or clips 32, that embrace the bearings 33 of the cranks 34 on the shaft 15. Screw-nutted bolts 35 secure the clipsaroundr the bearings that they embrace. The forward ends of the pitmanrods have slide-bearings 36 in the swivel-heads 37,that are secured by set-screws 38, whose points work in the periph eral channel-grooves 39 as -the swivel-heads turn on the cross-arms ofthe pivoted T-lever 40. The pitmanfrods are double-locked in their slide-bearings in the swivel by nuts 41, that engage on the threaded ends of the pitmanrods.

The head of the T- lever has pivotal bearing on the bolt 42, that is secured in the tongue near the line at which it crosses the beam 10. The circular foot 43 of the swivel-headed T- lever works in the channelgrooves within the forks 44 of the bifurcated lever 45, which lever is pivoted on the bolt 46, that is seated 1n the tongue, providing a short arm at the forward end of the lever and a long one at the rear end, where,'within an elongated slot, 47, an anti-friction roller, 48, slides. Said roller 1s secured on a pin, 49, that projects from the seed-slide 50. The seed-slide has perforations or valves 52, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11,.) which, as relatively they are brought into coincidence with the discharge-valves of the hoppers, discharge their measures of seed.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that twice in each revolution of the rimless drive-wheels the double-crank shaft operated by them actuates the pitman-rods (in alternate action) when their nut-heads strike the swivel-heads of the pivoted T-lever and rela tively throvsr its foot round to the right or left, thereby actuating the pivoted bifurcated lever 45 to enforce the longitudinal movement of the seed-slide to open the dischargevalves in the hopper and deliver the measured quota of seed. When the pitman-rods are in their intermediatepositions, as shown in Figs. II and III, the valves in the seed-slide not being in line coincident with the discharge-valve beneath the center of the hopper, seed cannot be discharged or leak from the hopper; but when in the position shown in Fig. I, in which one of the pitman-heads has just operated on the swivel-head of the Tlever, which it has thrown round, the seed-slide thereby being longitudinally thrown, the valve of necessity must deliver its quota of seed. Y'

I do not confine myself to any form of discharge-valve for the hopper. Any suitable valve or discharge adapted for alternating operation with seed-slides may be used.

It will be seen that a great advantage is gained by applying the power in front of main shaft and utilizing the tongue and the forward frame beneath it to carrymy pitmanswivel devices for the automat-ic operation of the seed-slide.

forward ends of said rods, and arranged when j theyv alternately strike the swivel-heads of the cross-arms to throw round the foot 43 of the T-lever and force round the forks of the pivoted lever 45, thus forcing its rear arm in an opposite direction and causing the longitudinal movement of the seed-slide 50,with which it connects, so as alternately to open and close the seed-valves 52 in the hopper and drop the corn in check-rows, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In attachments for corn planters, the combination of the pitman-rods secured by clips 32 to bearings 33 of the cranks 34 of the axle 15, said rods having slide-bearings in the swivel-heads of the T-lever 40, pivoted to the tongue, and arranged as the adjustable nutheads 41 on the rods strike the swivel-head to carry round the foot of said T lever and operate the pivoted lever 45, in the elongated slot 47 of which works an antifrietion roller on the pin49,that projects from the seed-slide,

and thus works the slide longitudinally to al ternately open and close the valve through which the corn is dropped, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In attachments to corn planters, the combination of the double crank axle, the cranks of which operate the pitman-rods that work in slide-bearings in the swivel-headed T- lever, and by the foot of said lever actuate the pivoted lever 45, which connects with the seedslide by an anti-friction roller, and pin working in an elongated slot in the lever, so as to move said slide longitudinally and alternately open and close the seed-valves twice in each revolution of the shaft 15, .thus arranged to drop the corn in its check-row, substantially as de scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In attachments for corn planters, the combination of the doublecrauk axle, pitmanrods sliding in bearings in the swivel-headed T-lever, which operates the bifurcated pivoted lever 45, that connects with the seed-slide to move said slide longitudinally twice during each revolution of the drive-wheels, and said double-crank shaft to alternately open and close the valves of the hopper and drop the corn at regular intervals, the power being ap' plied in front of the main axle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM W. VVALTERS.

In presence of-i Y BENJN. A. KNIGHT, Y

Jos. WAHLE.

roo 

